Pioneer Square Real Estate

About Pioneer Square

The original founding of Seattle in 1852 was in the Pioneer Square area. Pioneer Square and the Skid Row District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a very small area bounded by Elliot Bay, King St. and Alaskan Way. Much of the area is on a landfill which incorporated a small island into the mainland.

Late Victorian and Romanesque were the primary architectural styles in Pioneer Square, with Chicago style coming along later. More construction space was also added by regrading low bluffs in the area in the early 20th century. In 1989, the Great Seattle Fire completely destroyed Pioneer Square. The remains were buried under the rebuilding.

The Pioneer Square area has had more than its share of problems, with Fat Tuesday violence in 2001, and an earthquake the day after. Previous retrofitting of many of the buildings for seismic disturbances kept the damage down. The Pioneer Square Preservation District was formed in 1970 to help preserve the architectural character of the area.

The small footprint of the area, coupled with the Qwest Stadium doesn’t leave a lot of room for residential property. However, there are usually some condominiums listed for sale at prices starting around $400,000. The Pioneer Square area is known for its nightlife, with cafes, sports bars, art galleries and nightclubs.

Commute

The commute from Pioneer Square to downtown Seattle should take about 5 minutes.

Schools

School District: Seattle Public Schools

Schools: Public schools near Pioneer Square include Gatzert K-5, TT Minor K-5, Seahawk Academy 7-9, Meany Middle School and the Center School. Private schools in the area include:

• Lake Washington Girls Middle School


• First Place